Man arrested after chase pleads guilty

Thursday

Nov 7, 2013 at 9:13 PM

A man who led law enforcement officers on a chase at speeds near 100 mph in May before it ended at York Elementary School changed his plea Thursday. Jerry R. Ackley III, 36, of Painesville, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of receiving stolen property and one count of petty theft.

Meghan Millea

A man who led law enforcement officers on a chase at speeds near 100 mph in May before it ended at York Elementary School changed his plea Thursday.

Jerry R. Ackley III, 36, of Painesville, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of receiving stolen property and one count of petty theft during his appearance Thursday before Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Judge Edward E. O'Farrell.

Ackley was apprehended after a short foot chase at New Philadelphia's York Elementary School following a high-speed pursuit in a stolen car by officers of the New Philadelphia Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol.

The chase began after Ackley robbed a BP station in Newcomerstown, continuing north on Interstate 77 and then south on Stonecreek Road. He drove a 2010 Hyundai Accent he had stolen in Euclid.

One of the receiving stolen property charges involves the car, while the other is for two credit cards stolen from Ackley's nearly 80-year-old grandmother.

A plea agreement reached with county Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Williams calls for Ackley to serve 10 years in prison, with the promise of judicial release after five years, to be followed by time served in a community correctional facility and then parole.

"I'm finding it to be fair," O'Farrell said, adding that he would impose the promised sentence at Ackley's sentencing hearing Dec. 20.

O'Farrell also mentioned that Ackley is a suspect in criminal cases in other Ohio counties.

He told Ackley that subsequent convictions may mean that Ackley would serve more time in prison than the promised mandatory five years.

As part of the plea agreement, Williams also agreed to dismiss charges of fleeing and eluding and assaulting a police officer. Those charges involved Ackley crashing the stolen car into the cruiser driven by Sgt. Rick Menges of the Ohio Highway Patrol. Ackley said he never intended to harm anyone as he fled.

Williams said he agreed to dismiss those charges because it would not change the number of years that Ackley would serve if convicted.

Public Defender Mark Perlaky said his client felt it was important to amend the charges because "We felt this was a more accurate and appropriate reflection of the conduct in this case."

Perlaky said Ackley added that his client has owned up to his actions and didn't want anyone going through the ordeal of a trial.

Ackley was accompanied in the car by Kristie Ann Barnes, 33, of Magnolia. She changed her plea in August, and was found guilty of one count of identity fraud of an elderly person; and two counts of receiving stolen property.

She received two years of community control sanctions, including participating in a rehabilitation program at Stark Regional Community Correction Center or Eastern Ohio Correction Center.

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